Tapeless unfoldable closure for clgarette packages



July 22, 1958 B. J. TAMARlN 2,844,298

TAPELESS UNFOLDABLE CLO SURE FOR CIGARETTE PACKAGES Filed Sept. 5, 19542 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. TAMARIN HIS ATTORNEY July22,1958 IB. J. TAMARIN 2,844,298

TAPELESS UNFOLDABLE CLOSURE FOR CIGARETTE PACKAGES Filed Sept. 3, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 V I l6 I v I N! i INVENTOR- BERNARD J. TAMARIN HISATTORNEY United States Patent TAPELESS UNFOLDABLE CLOSURE FOR ICIGARETTE PACKAGES Bernard J. Tamarin, Flourtown, Pa.

Application September 3, 1954, Serial No. 454,087

Claims. (Cl. 229-51) My invention is a moisture resistant .packagecomprising an inner wrapper having a downfolded tuck and flaps formingan end closure including overlapped unfoldable members, and a sheathincluding a readily detachable strip overlying and bonded to the outersurface of the outermost of said members and forming a pull throughwhich unfolding stress applied to the pull maybe transmitted to suchmember directly to unfold it and initiate or facilitate the unfolding ofthe remaining unfoldable members and thereby provide access to thecontents of the package.

A leading object of my invention is the simplification of the productionand operation of pull-opening cigarette packages by the directutilization of a sheath strip as a package opening pull and itsconnection through a single bond with an area of unfoldable closure flapremote from its folding line and at a point where resistance tounfolding is at a minimum.

A further object of my invention is the facilitation ofan access to thecontents of the package without the detachment or defacementto any partof the inner wrapper, and the refolding of the unfoldable closuremembers to reclose the package.

A further object of my invention is the production of pull-openingcigarette packages on standard types of A. M. & F. 3-79 cigarettepackers without substantial modifications thereof or additions theretoand without appreciable increase in the cost of the package.

The principles of my invention and the best mode I have contemplated ofapplying such principles will further appear from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of an unfolded inner wrapper usedin the production of a package embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of 'a partly opened cigarette package embodying myinvention, parts being broken away to indicate the interiorconstruction; Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive are fragmentary perspective viewsillustrating sequential stages in the opening of the package of Fig. 2;Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a package which has beenopened in accordance with my invention; Fig. 8 is a fragmentaryperspective view showing the reclosing of the package shown in Fig. 7;Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of cigarettepackage embodying my invention; Figs. 10 and 11 are fragmentaryperspective views illustrating sequential stages in the opening of thepackage shown in Fig. 9.

In the drawings, my invention is shown embodied in a usual type ofcigarette package comprising an inner wrapper 1, a usual jacket 2, and ahermetically sealed sheath 3.

Bottom extensions of the inner wrapper and jacket may be folded in anyusual way to form a bottom closure 4.

In accordance with the preferred practice of my invention, the innerwrapper 1 has an upper extension 5 con- 2,844,29 Patented July 22, 1958taining converging slits 6 and 7 extending inwardly from the top edge 8.A small area of the outer foil surface of the wrapper 1 adjacent to theintersection of the slit ,7 and edge 8, but preferably spaced slightlytherefrom,

is coated with a bonding material 9 or an activator of bonding material.The bonding material 9 may be conveniently applied by printing on themetallic foil surface of the wrapper, before or after the downfolding ofthe extension 5, a solution or dispersion of a thermoplastic adherentmaterial, such, for example, as a vinyl compound in a volatile solvent,which, on drying, leaves a small patch of non-tacky thermallyactivatable bonding material adapted to bond metallic foil andcellophane together. Suitable bonding material is marketed under thename Hermatite 911b.

After the inner Wrapper 1 and jacket 2 have been respectively folded toform an open mouth receptacle, and filled with cigarettes, the extension5 is bent transversely to the body walls of the inner wrapper so as toform a top closure composed of tucks 10 and 11 and flap sections 13,13', 14, 14. The flap section 13 has the shape of a truncated triangleand partially overlies but is free from the surface of the tuck 10 andfrom the surface of the flap section 14'. The topmost flap section 14'has the shape of a truncated triangle and partially overlies but is freefrom the surface of the tuck 10 and flap section 13. The areas of theflap sections 13' and 14' adjacent to the slits 6 and 7 are overlaid 'bythe bight 15 of a stamp 16 whose extremities are bonded to the front andback walls of the jacket 2. The bight 15 leaves the adhesive area 9exposed, but normally holds the flap sec-' tions 13 and 14' indownfolded position, but the areas of these flaps engaged by the bightmay be readily drawn from beneath the bight for unfolding along thecreases 13a, 14awhich connect such flap sections with the front and rearwalls formed by the inner wrapper 1. When the flap sections 13, 14 areunfolded, the tuck 10 is readily unfoldable along the crease 10a whichconnects the tuck with a side wall formedby the inner wrapper l. All ofthe surfaces of the tuck 10 and flap sections 13, 14' are free ofbonding material excepting thearea 9 of the flap section 14, which areais remote from the crease 14a and adjacent to the apex of the flapsection 14 where resistance to withdraw from beneath the bight 15 is ata minimum.

After the extension 5 has been downfolded to form an end closure and thestamp 16 has been attached to the jacket 2, the jacket and inner wrapperare enclosed in the cellophane sheath 3 which has end extensions tuckedand folded to form a bottom closure and atop closure'17.

A usual zip tape 18 may be provided between the jacket 2 and cellophane3 to facilitate the severance of the top 17 from the body of the sheath3, as shown in Fig. 2, or the zip tape may be omitted and the topsection of the cellophane provided with a transverse slit 19 sealed byan adhesive tab 20 having an upturned lip 21 as shown in Figs. 9 and 11and as more fully described in my application Serial No. 360,7 89.

The joints formed by the tucking and folding of the top 17 of the sheath3 are hermetically sealed by the action of heat and/ or pressure and/ orsolvent on the cellophone or on a coating applied to the surfacethereof. The instrumentalitytnot shown) for effecting the sealing of thejoints of the top closure 17 simultaneously thermally bonds such topclosure 17 securely to the exposed pretreated area 9 adjacent to theapex of the outermost flap section 14, but not to the remainder of theclosure formed by the tucks 10, 11, flaps 13, 13', 14, 14', nor to thebight 15.

Consequently when the top section 17 of the sheath 3 is severed from theremainder of the sheath to form a 3 pull, as for instance, by pullingthe zip tape 18 (Fig. 2), the top 17 may be lifted (Fig. 3) and pulledupward and/or toward the right. The flap section 14' is thereby pulledout .from under the bight 15 and unfolded along the crease 14:: (Figs. 4and 5). As the flap 1-4 is connected along a crease 14b (Fig 5) with thetuck 10, and as the tuck underlies the flap section 13", continuedpulling on the top section 17 will usually partly unfold the tuck 10 andflap section 13' before thetop section 17 parts from the bonded area 9adjacent to the apex of the flap section 147. The extent and strength ofthe bonding material are preferably so proportioned as to permit thedetachment of the section 17 from the flap section 14" after the latterhas been .fully unfolded but before it starts to tear along the crease14a.

After the top section 17 has been pulled free, from the unfolded section14 and thrown away, the tuck 10 and flap section 13' may be readilyunfolded by the use of the finger to form a chute (Fig. 7) through whicha desired number of cigarettes may be extracted. If less than the wholenumber of cigarettes are extracted, the tuck 10 and flap sections 13,14' may be refolded to close the package as shown in Fig. 8, and ifdesired the edges of the flap sections may be tucked under the bight 15.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. '9 to 11, the package may beopened by pulling on the lip 21 to separate the adjacent portion of thetab from the top section 17 and cause the top section 17 to tear alongits corners from the ends of the slit 19 toward the right (Fig. '9) andthus form a pull 17 which transmits stress through the bonded area 9 tothe flap section 14' and unfolds it and partially unfolds the tuck 10and flap section 13' before the bond '9 breaks, as hereinbeforedescribed.

It will thus be seen that the severance of a sheath section 17 or 17forms a pull bonded by a single bond directly to an unfoldable flapsection 14' cut from the top closure formed by the inner wrapper andthat such pull may be used to apply stress to such section at a pointofminimum resistance to withdrawal and unfolding with consequent unfoldingof the flap section '14 along its hinge connection to the body of thewrapper and to the tuck 10.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A moisture resistant package comprising an inner wrapper bent to formanend closure having unfoldable flap sections precut therefrom, meansforming a bight normally holding said unfoldable flap sections indownfolded position by the engagement of their inner edges under an edgeof the bight, and a sheath having a readily severable strip bonded toone of said unfoldable flap sections at an area remote from itsunfolding line and Where resistance to the withdrawal and unfoldingthereof is relatively low.

2. A package comprising an inner wrapper having a downfolded tuck andflaps forming an end closure including overlapped unfoldable members, asheath having a readily severable section bonded directly to one of saidflaps, and a Zip tape underlying said sheath and, when pulled, severingthe section of said sheath bonded to said flap, and said severedsection, when pulled, unfolding said flap.

3. A moisture resistant package comprising an inner wrapper forming abody having down folded tucks and flaps forming an end closure includingover-lapped unfoldable members hinged along parallel edges of said body,and a sheath including a readily detachable strip overlying and bondedto the apex of the outer surface of the outermost edge of said flapmembers and severable adjacent to the side edges of said tuck and flapmembers to form a pull through which unfolding stress applied to thepull is transmitted directly to the outermost flap member to unfold itand initiate or facilitate the unfolding of the remaining unfoldablemembers and thereby provide access to the contents ofthe package.

4. A moisture resistant package comprising an inner wrapper and an outersealed sheath of flexible, thin sheet material, said inner wrapperhaving an upper extension whichis bent to form anend closure including atuck and flap sections partially overlying said tuck, said flap sectionsbeing readily unfoldable from oneanother and from said tuck, said sheathhaving a top section readily severable from the remainder thereofadjacent to said upper extension and being bonded to one of said flapsections to transmit unfolding stress to said last named flap section.

'5. .A package comprising an inner wrapper having an upper extensionwhich is bent to form an end closure having unfoldable hinged flaps cuttherefrom, said flaps being of substantially triangular shapeand eachhaving its base extending along and unfoldable along an edge of theclosure inparallelisrn with one another, and a sheath having a readilyseverable section bonded to one of said hinged flaps adjacent to theapex thereof, said bonded flap being unfolded by stress transmittedthrough said section when said sectionis severed andpulled.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,516,455 Panza Nov. 18, 1924 "1,882,094 Rauber et al. 'Oct. 11, 19321,915,503 Schmidt June 27, 1933 2,415,117 Tamarin Feb. 4, 1947 2,588,996Snyder Mar. 11, 1952 2,593,778 McGinnis Apr. 22, 1952 2,675,169 TamarinApr. 13, 1954

